17 Get better...

Everette.

I feel as if my father's rage is consuming me completely.

And not in a good way.

The physical pain generated by the distance with Aisha is becoming unbearable.

"How could you do this?! I will die because of you! Damn you!" I hear a scream as I enter the house I was told to.

I run upstairs and walk quickly to the room where I hear the commotion. Inside I see Shameena completely furious throwing fireballs at Asmodeus, while he extincts them as fast as possible.

"I don't know what happened!" he defends himself.

"Get it off!"

"You know that's not possible!"

Before I have a chance to say anything, a sickening cough comes over me, drawing the attention of the pair of demons.

I put a hand to my mouth and it fills with the thick, black liquid that runs through our veins.

I think humans call it blood.

Asmodeo watches me with concern and Shameena grimaces in discomfort.

"I don't care what you are talking about, just tell me where Aisha is. Now." I growl.

"Brother, you really are in a bad condition..." the red-haired man assures me.

"It's only because of the distance with Aisha." I shrug my shoulders. "My body will recover when I'm with her."

"Just imagine me like that..." Shameena shudders. "Damn you, Asmodeus!"

Still uncomprehending my eyes fall on the pendant around her neck. A mocking smile takes over my face as I analyze both of their expressions closely.

"Well, well..." I laugh softly and they both grunt. "I knew their conflicts were to repress the mutual desire that consumed you, but I never imagined it would come to this." I approach Asmodeo with difficulty and pat him on the back. "Congratulations brother!"

"I think you should say you're sorry for me..." he mutters, making me burst out laughing.

"Shut up you idiot!" Shameena shrieks nervously. "Everette, I am a demon of seduction, I feed on the dark thoughts and desires I awaken in humans, now that I have his mark they will not be effective, I will lose all my power until I cease to exist."

Asmodeus looks at me worried and I roll my eyes.

"That won't happen." I assure them.

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"Asmodeus is one of the most powerful demons in Hell, that's why your powers will never become weak, your existence is safe."

I see how my friend's look relaxes and Shameena sighs relieved.

"So I won't die." she smiles.

"To our misfortune." I lament.

She looks at me offended and I wink flirtatiously.

Asmodeus grunts and I smile in pleasure.

"Damn it..." he sighs, realizing his previous reaction.

"Welcome to my torture." the weight of the mark is already beginning to be evident on him. "Where is Aisha? The pain just makes it impossible for me to sense her."

"In the room next to this one." Shameena replies. "We don't know how to lower her temperature."

"Too bad, I'm usually an expert at making her feel hot." she smiles at my comment.

"I understand, I'm an expert in that area too."

"Yes, yes of course, you are the masters of seduction, now go and take care of Aisha." Asmodeus says with exasperation.

With difficulty I turn around and walk down the corridor until I reach the next room.

Before I open the door her presence hits me in such a delicious way that I feel disconcerted, her fragrance floods me once I enter and my body relaxes when I see her lying on that bed. I close the door behind me and walk in her direction, I raise my hand and lightly brush her face, I feel an immense relief consume me, the pain leaves my body.

Finally...

I smile slightly and approach to kiss her lips, she is still unconscious, but I feel her skin bristle at my touch. I missed you annoyingly soul, very much. Probably because of the mark, probably not, I just know is a relief to take the pain away.

I separate and proceed to examine her body, her temperature is quite irregular and her complexion is flushed.

"What happened to you?" I ask in a whisper.

I feel Death's presence nearby, I caress her face once more and leave the place.

He is in the next room with Shameena and Asmodeus, I enter and all eyes are on me.

"That was it?" the red-haired man asks incredulously. "You came in and saw her, now you're fine, it's ridiculous."

"It's the mark." I shrug my shoulders. "Of course it's ridiculous."

"It's not." Death rolls his eyes.

"It is." we all agree in unison.

"I have no complaints." he shrugs.

"That's because you gave your mark voluntarily." I remind him, once again.

"I don't see why it is any different in your case, you wanted to make sure that Aisha was not afraid or lonely, so you gave her your mark. Asmodeus was sharing a lustful moment with Shameena, I think he was the only one who was reckless in giving it to her."

"I was just thinking that I wanted to make her mine..." he murmurs. "I think the mark misunderstood me."

"The mark can't misunderstand." I roll my obvious eyes. "I think you really felt that way about her."

Shameena grimaces in discomfort and Asmodeus glares at her.

"Don't act like I disgust you." the red-haired man reproaches.

"What did you expect? You are chained to the most insensitive and cruel demon in Hell." she says proudly.

"I think you should come down from the realm of the Celestials and return to this filthy place, I am the cruelest demon that has ever existed." I assure them.

"Yes, of course. You should remember who is the one who takes the lives of humans." Death boasts.

"Remember that I am the great master of Hell's playhouse."

We all burst out laughing at Asmodeus' comment and he pouts.

"Great master?" Shameena emphasizes. "I really think it's pathetic that you consider yourself so much, you're nothing more than a minor dark being."

"Well you are not much more, precious, at least I belong to the great demonic leaders." he shows his tongue at her.

Very bad Asmodeus, you terrify me...

"That's because I'm a girl."

"That has nothing to do with it." I mock. "Lilith is among the great leaders."

"Your aunt is a harpy who manipulated Diablo to be in that place." she glares at me.

"Of course not, Lilith is twisted and lacks respect for life, besides she is an incredible strategist, thanks to that she managed to be in that place." I defend.

What can I say? I have tortured more than one soul with her, naturally empathy arises.

"Tell me what's wrong with your soul." Death interrupts.

I run a hand through my hair and take a seat on the bed next to Asmodeo.

He reeks to sex.

"She ingested human food." I grimace in disgust.

My father specifically asked me not to let her eat anything from this place, that's because human food weakens our demonic energy since we usually consume souls, in the case of Asmodeo is different, practically desensitized his body and human food no longer affects him, of course he must ingest a lot of dark souls after tasting human substances.

In my case I have never tolerated anything that has to do with humans, I simply repudiate any kind of contact with them and the idea of having inside my body something that is vital to them as is their food, is too abominable.

"How disgusting..." Shameena frowns in disgust.

"Why would she do that?" Death asks in confusion.

"Well, human food isn't that bad, you guys are just too picky." Asmodeo plops down on the bed and puts his hands behind his head to stare at the ceiling.

"I forgot to mention that the human who owns this place calls her Camille." says Shameena.

"Camille?" I ask.

She nods.

"Do you know why?"

"I have a theory, but I really think it will be better to explain it when Aisha is better, I'm not in the mood to tell the story twice." I sigh tiredly and sit up.

"How long will it take for her to get better?" Death asks.

"She needs demon blood, so I will give her to drink in smaller quantities for now, that will strengthen her demonic strength until it is fully restored, once she is better we can resume our search for the demonic beast."

"So be it." responds Death.

Everyone nods and I withdraw to enter my soul's room again. Before approaching I make a barrier in the place, making sure that the demons next door won't smell my blood. I observe her in the same position as a moment ago and proceed to materialize a dagger in my hand, I use it to make a large cut on my wrist, the blood, black as ink begins to flow and I hurry to bring my hand to her mouth, she sighs when it makes contact with her lips and I bite my lip when I hear her.

Deliciously sadistic, I didn't know you liked that...

I watch as the blood begins to drip into her parted lips and I smile slightly.

"Please, get better." I whisper.

(...)

"I thank you very much for taking care of my daughter all afternoon." the human with blue eyes and light brown hair babbles on and on.

Don't destroy her, don't kill her, don't torture her.

"It was nothing." I murmur dryly.

She smiles and approaches me with the intention of taking my hand to shake it, I back away quickly and nod apologetically.

"What a charming young man!" she squeals excitedly. "Are you my daughter's boyfriend?"

Boyfriend?

I think back a few minutes and remember that this is the term humans use to categorize their relationships. Actually Aisha has my mark, she is mine for eternity, it's not a temporary relationship at all.

"Something like that.." I murmur.

"What is your name?"

"Everette Haylel."

"What an interesting name, I've never heard a last name like that. You're not from around here?"

"Not at all." I say quickly.

She smiles and I try hard not to grimace. Why the hell is she smiling so much? Does she have a problem?

"Well, you seem like a nice guy, I'm sure you're not the type to get into trouble." she laughs.

I'm the trouble itself.

"Of course I'm not."

She walks to the other room and quickly returns with a plate.

"I'm sure you're hungry, these are my special cookies, try one." she brings the plate with some kind of brown circles on it closer to me.

I'd rather eat heavenly food than taste that.

"I thank you very much." I smile slightly out of politeness.

I take one and get up from the chair I am sitting on.

"You can go back to Camille, I'm sure she ate too much and now has indigestion, but she will be better soon and I'm sure she will be very happy when she sees you with her."

I nod and walk upstairs. I throw the food she gave me out of a window in the hallway and wipe my hands on my clothes.

Then I burn them. I go back to the room where Aisha is and there I see Death, Shameena and Asmodeus, they all stare at her and once I enter the place they all watch me hungrily.

I should have left the barrier...

"It smells like power..." Shameena says with a touch of desire in her voice.

Demons feel an incomprehensible attraction for power and dark energy, my blood doesn't contain dark power like the others, my blood is pure dark power, that's why they feel that attraction towards it.

" I've given her a lot of blood."I shrug my shoulders and proceed to sit next to my soul.

"Brother, what I would give to be able to make a tiny cut and taste that blood." Asmodeus looks at me pleadingly.

"You're disgusting." I grimace. "Besides, you know that only my father can hurt me so much that I bleed, that or a fight to death with some being of great power."

He sighs and nods in surrender.

"The human downstairs really enjoys the conversation..." Death comments.

"Tell me about it." I roll my eyes. "I think it was a very wise decision when I asked you to join us, you are the only one who reminds us not to kill humans, even though you can't stand them."

"About that..." Shameena laughs nervously.

"What did you do?" Death puts his fingers on the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"I may have killed a human in the club where we found Aisha." she smiles innocently.

"Shameena!" he exclaims in a chastising tone.

"She practically raped Asmodeo with her eyes!" she defends himself.

"That's no excuse for you to kill her!" he reproaches.

"Oh, come on! Maybe she's alive, I just made her live her worst nightmare." she rolls her eyes and makes a hand gesture to play it down. "She probably survived the heart attack that caused her."

"You are reckless and immature and never think about the consequences of your actions."

"My home is fucking Hell, I live so I don't think about the consequences." she blurts out obviously.

Death begins his series of scoldings and I laugh while Asmodeus watches them wearily.

From one second to another a presence takes over the house, I become alert quickly and I dedicate all my attention to it, I hear how the human who is downstairs addresses a certain Ava, she answers something irrelevant and I feel how she approaches where we are, I see how a girl with long brown hair abruptly enters the room.

She doesn't even notice our presence until her light green eyes meet Death's gray gaze. He watches her with pure adoration.

"Life?" he whispers in disbelief.